1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal printer to be used as a printer for personal computers, word processors and the like. Particularly, the invention is concerned with a thermal printer which is constructed so as to permit use also as a label making printer for making labels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a thermal printer has a carriage disposed in opposition to a platen and which is reciprocated along the platen. A thermal head capable of moving into contact with and away from the platen is supported by the carriage and it is possible to effect both printing of the type wherein printing is performed by pressing the thermal head directly to a thermal paper and a thermal printing using ribbon. In the thermal printing using ribbon, an ink ribbon cassette containing an ink ribbon with a part thereof drawn out so as to be positioned between printing paper and the thermal head is carried on the upper surface of the carriage. Further, a photosensor is disposed in a suitable position of the carriage.
The construction of an ink ribbon cassette 1 used commonly in such a thermal printer is shown in FIG. 10.
Within a cassette case 1A formed of a resin material, as shown in FIG. 10, there are disposed a feed reel with an ink ribbon 4 wound thereon and a take-up reel 3 for taking up the ink ribbon 4 after printing. Along the traveling path of the ink ribbon 4 are disposed a plurality of rotatable guide rollers 5. The ink ribbon 4 is drawn out from the feed reel 2, travels along the guide rollers 5, then is once drawn out to the exterior of the cassette case 1A in the position of an opening 6 which is for abutment of a thermal head 7 with the ink ribbon, then after used for printing, it is again drawn into the cassette case and wound onto the take-up reel 3.
A reflecting plate 8 is attached to the cassette case 1A in a position corresponding to the photosensor mounted on the carriage of the thermal printer, with the ink ribbon 4 therebetween. A ribbon end of the ink ribbon 4 is detected by the reflecting plate 8.
According to the above construction, at the time of printing, the ink ribbon 4 which is held together with paper between the thermal head 7 and the platen is drawn out from the feed reel 2 as the carriage travels, then the portion thereof which has been used for printing is separated from the paper and wound round the take-up reel 3.
The conventional thermal printer described above is for only printing characters onto standard-size papers such as size A4 and B4 papers as well as letter size and legal size papers, not having a label making function. For making labels, therefore, it has heretofore been necessary to use a machine exclusive for making labels.